Tagged: apples

Why does one of my favorite apples have such a bad rap? All crab apples come from the genus Malus. The compound that gives crab apples their strong, extremely tart flavor is malic acid. Both words are derived from the Latin word malum, which means evil or wicked. Evil apples? Yikes! While crab apples tend Continue Reading »

Nothing says fall like a crisp glass of cider! Monger Liz celebrates the season with a profile of three of our favorites New England cideries: Shacksbury Cider, Far From the Tree Cider, and Bantam Cider

Emily, produce buyer and home chef extraordinaire, brought the apples: 10 different kinds, most of them heirloom varieties. I represented for the bakery and turned each variety into an individual mini-crisp and sliced extras for a “raw” tasting. Our goal? To find out which were the best baking and which were the best eating apples.

Crisp autumnal air. The sweet smell of leaves. Dashes of yellows and oranges and reds and browns. A quintessential New England fall. And nothing says fall to me like apples and apple picking. As a produce buyer here at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge, what really gets my motor going is the sheer variety of apples available today. With the help of seed savers and the grace of a handful of dedicated growers, like Zeke Goodband of Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont, there are a plethora of heirloom apples available.

In our Cambridge store, our bakery sits next to our produce room offering our baker Alice a chance to browse around the bins and shelves to find inspiration for her breads, pies, crostatas and muffins. At this time of year, it’s all about apples. From her award-winning apple pie to the simple muffins in this recipe, Alice makes the most of each apple variety from our local farms.

Spring may be the season of rebirth, but we can’t help a similar feeling of renewal when September rolls around: new season, new school year, cooler temperatures (at least in the northeast). Autumn is also the time to celebrate the harvest – particularly the new batch of apples, that most emblematic of fall crops. Fresh or preserved, apples are a simple and versatile addition to any cheese plate.

We recently held our first ever Apple Fest at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge and, ever since, I have had apples on my mind! For me, apples provoke a range of memories and positive associations but, only recently, did I take the time to delve a little further into the history and science of this fruit.